The Canadian Men’s National Team (CanMNT) finished their two-match March window with two draws: 2–2 against Iceland on Saturday and 0–0 against Tunisia on Tuesday. Tying the world’s 75th- and 44th-ranked sides in the penultimate pair of friendlies before this summer’s World Cup may sound worrying, but the CanMNT have three reasons to feel good about their chances of succeeding on the world stage for the first time ever.
These three takeaways offer reasons for optimism.
- Bosnia Bounced Italy
Until Tuesday, Canadians had been expecting the national team to play in a difficult World Cup group featuring two European heavyweights: Switzerland and Italy. There were concerns about Canada’s big moment — the opening match as tournament co-hosts on June 12 — being ruined by Toronto’s large, soccer-loving Italian community turning out and filling the stadium with blue.
In the European playoff to join Canada’s group, however, Bosnia and Herzegovina did the unthinkable against Italy. The Azzurri opened the scoring, but a red card to Alessandro Bastoni in the 41st minute hinted that the four-time World Cup champions’ curse might continue. Sure enough, the Bosnians scored the equalizer and sent the match to penalties. The Italians collapsed under the immense pressure and will miss a third consecutive World Cup.
Canada, ranked 30th, will play their first two World Cup matches against lower-ranked Bosnia (65th) and Qatar (55th) with a major home-field advantage. Now, Jesse Marsch’s team should expect their third match, against Switzerland (19th), to present them with a chance to win the group.
Topping Group B would mean a lot. The CanMNT would remain at BC Place for the subsequent one or two knockout matches instead of crossing the border into the United States. For Switzerland, depending on how the bracket shakes out, finishing first in the group may be no more attractive than finishing second, and Swiss coach Murat Yakin might rest top players in the third match if he has already clinched a spot in the knockout stage.
Italy’s absence has turned Canada’s pipe dream of winning Group B into a reasonable goal.
- No Blockbuster Friendlies, No Problem
Some folks in Canadian soccer circles envied how the United States attracted big-name opponents for their pre-tournament friendlies: Belgium (9th), Portugal (5th), Senegal (14th), and Germany (10th). Such opposition drives interest among fans and provides a true test of a team’s weaknesses. The March window, however, cast the Stars and Stripes in an unfavourable light.
After a 5–2 Belgian bashing and a 2–0 Portuguese pounding, American fans and media are wringing their hands over whether their team is ready for the World Cup. The lopsided matches were not good for optics, morale, or momentum.
Canada would have been similarly demolished had they faced Belgium and Portugal in the absence of captain Alphonso Davies, vice-captain Stephen Eustáquio, defensive linchpin Moïse Bombito, and other key centre-backs. Playing two decent opponents, Iceland and Tunisia, and staying undefeated with makeshift lineups was much better for vibes.
Canada’s modest pre-tournament schedule has also been made very appropriate by Bosnia’s qualification. In upcoming friendlies against Uzbekistan (50th) and Ireland (59th), Canada will get to work on their troubling tendencies of playing down to the level of lower opposition and of stagnating offensively when they have more than 50% possession. This will serve them well when they go on to face two teams whose level is similar to that of the Uzbeks and the Irish: Bosnia and Qatar.
For Canada, the best way to drive fan interest will be making history by winning matches at the World Cup.
- Flowers for Flores
After filing a one-time switch to represent Canada, the Mexican-Canadian attacker Marcelo Flores showed up in Toronto wanting to make a statement. He dyed his hair a maple-leaf red, and he exceeded expectations with creative, energetic performances on the pitch.
Against Iceland, Flores was an offensive catalyst off the bench. He helped Canada tilt the field and earn two second-half penalty kicks by taking on defenders in one-on-ones, combining with teammates in tight spaces, and popping up on the left, on the right, and down the middle of the attack.
Flores’s strong showing as a sub and Tajon Buchanan’s one-match suspension made it easy for Marsch to give Flores the start on Tuesday. In his 76 minutes against Tunisia, Flores was Canada’s most dynamic player and showed he can help out with set-piece delivery when Hoilett, Choinière, and Eustáquio are not on the field.
Nobody, however, could get the CanMNT on the scoresheet in the 0–0 draw. Marsch has been dealing with such scoring woes throughout his Canadian tenure, and he was not rewarded for playing Tani Oluwaseyi as a #9 and Jonathan David as a second striker on Tuesday.
Oluwaseyi and Cyle Larin have been David’s main striking partners under Marsch, but Oluwaseyi has only two goals in 22 CanMNT appearances; Larin, only one in his last 22. These two players have proved not to be the answer to the goal-scoring problem. Against Tunisia, Oluwaseyi had Canada’s best scoring chance of the match — a volley from 12 yards out — and the off-target effort was all too familiar.
Marsch has mentioned that Flores could play as a second striker for Canada, which is an option worth trying against Uzbekistan or Ireland. Having the dynamism of Flores underneath the clever combination play and clinical finishing of Jonathan David, and flanked by the relentlessness of wingers Ali Ahmed and Tajon Buchanan, could make Canada’s front four more threatening.
Canada will likely need some creativity, both in the coach’s thinking and on the pitch, to break through the stubborn defending of lower-ranking opponents in their four upcoming matches.
What’s Next?
The CanMNT will face Uzbekistan at Commonwealth Stadium in Edmonton on June 1. Davies, Eustáquio, Bombito, and other injured players are expected to return to the lineup.
(Photos: CanMNT)